A drying machine is an apparatus that can dry clothes and remove moisture from the clothes by supplying dried hot wind to the clothes.
In general, the drying machine can include a hear source such as an electric heater, a gas heater, and a heat pump. Thus, the drying machine can be classified according to the type of a heat source.
In addition, the drying machine can be also classified into various types according to the shape of a laundry accommodation unit. A drying machine including a drum-shaped laundry accommodation unit that rotates around a horizontal shaft, is referred to as a horizontal shaft drum type drying machine, and a drying machine including a drum-shaped laundry accommodation unit that rotates around a vertical shaft, is referred to as a vertical shaft drum type drying machine. Also, a drying machine including a laundry accommodation unit fixed to an inside of a cabinet is referred to as a cabinet drying machine or refresher.
FIGS. 1-4 describe a conventional heater drying machine and a conventional heat pump drying machine.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual view schematically illustrating an example of a conventional heater drying machine.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the example heater drying machine includes a drum 10 and an air circulation unit 20 that can circulate air through the drum 10. The air discharged from the drum 10 through the air circulation unit 20 flows into the drum 10. Thus, the air circulates through the air circulation unit 20. A drying fan 50 is provided for circulation of air. The drying fan 50 is provided inside the air circulation unit 20 for generating the air flow.
The air circulation unit 20 may include an additional flow path (duct), and a part of the flow path may be formed at a base 70 (see FIG. 2) of the heater drying machine. Furthermore, the drum 10 may also be a part of the air circulation unit 20.
In order to dry laundry in the drum 10, the air is heated by a heater 60, for example, an electric heater. The heated air flows into the drum 10, and moisture of the air can be removed from the laundry.
The air of which temperature and humidity increase by removing moisture from clothes, may be discharged from the drum 10 and flow into a condenser 40. In some cases, a filter 30 for removing foreign substances such as lint in the air, may be provided between the drum 10 and the condenser 40. The moisture of the high-temperature high-humidity air may be condensed by the condenser 40, and the high-temperature high-humidity air may change into dried air. The condenser 40 enables the high-temperature high-humidity air to be heat-exchanged with external low-temperature air. In this case, the moisture in the high-temperature high-humidity air is condensed and removed.
A cooling fan 45 may be provided with the condenser 40 so that the external low-temperature air can flow in the drum 10 and can be discharged from the condenser 40 via the cooling fan 45. The cooling fan 45 may be positioned in a cooling flow path 46.
The cooling flow path 46 is provided so that the external air is supplied to the condenser 40 and then is discharged to the outside of the heater drying machine.
The low-temperature dried air discharged from the condenser 40 may be heated by the heater 60 and changed into high-temperature dried air. The high-temperature dried air flows into the drum 10.
Thus, the air circulates via the drum 10, the condenser 40, the drying fan 50, and the heater 60, and drying may be performed through heating and condensation of the circulating air.
The drying machine illustrated in FIG. 1 may also be a blower type drying machine, because it blows the air into the drum 10 from the rear of the drum 10, and the right side of the drum 10 corresponds to the front side of the drying machine, and the left side of the drum 10 corresponds to the rear side of the drying machine. Thus, in this case, the air for drying flows into the rear of the drum 10 and then is discharged to the front of the drum 10.
FIG. 2 is a plan view of an example arrangement of main components and a base 70 of the conventional drying machine illustrated in FIG. 1.
The drum 10 and the heater 60, which are not directly mounted on the base 70, are omitted from FIG. 2. An upper portion of the base 70 illustrated in FIG. 2 corresponds to the rear side of the drying machine, and a lower portion thereof corresponds to the front side of the drying machine.
The condenser 40 is provided at the left side of the base 70, and the cooling fan 45, a motor 55, and the drying fan 50 are provided at the right side of the base 70. The motor 55 is provided to drive the drying fan 50.
In some cases, the drying fan 50 may be provided in front of the drying machine and below the drum 10. The drying fan 50 may also be disposed between the filter 30 and the condenser 40, unlike in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 2, the drying fan 50 may be a suction type drying machine, because it can suction the air in the drum 10 from the front of the drum 10.
According to the relationship between the drying fan 50 and the drum 10 or the heater 60, the drying fan 50 may be classified into a suction type drying machine and a blower type drying machine depending on whether the location of the drying fan 50 is a front end or rear end of the drum 10.
An example air flow will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
The air that flows into the drum 10 is discharged through the front of the drum 10, descends and flows into the condenser 40. The air discharged from the condenser 40 ascends and flows into the drum 10 via the rear of the drum 10. Additional ducts may be provided in the air circulation unit 20 for ascending and descending of the air. These ducts are connected to the drum 10 or base 70 to constitute air circulation unit 20.
The external air may flow into the drying machine via the cooling flow path 46 from the rear of the drying machine and be supplied to the condenser 40.
The external air supplied to the condenser 40 is heat-exchanged with the circulating air inside the condenser 40 and then is discharged in a lateral direction of the drying machine. That is, as the cooling fan 45 is driven, the external air flows into the drying machine and then is discharged via the cooling flow path 46. In some cases, the flow direction of the circulating air and the flow direction of the external air in the condenser 40 may be perpendicular to each other.
FIG. 3 is a conceptual view schematically illustrating an example of a conventional heat pump drying machine.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, the heat pump drying machine may include the drum 10, and the air circulation unit 20 that circulates the air via the drum 10. The air discharged from the drum 10 through the air circulation unit 20 flows into the drum 10 again after undergoing condensation and heating. In this case, the air circulates through the air circulation unit 20.
For circulation of the air, the drying fan 50 may be provided. The drying fan 50 may be positioned inside the air circulation unit 20 and generate the flow of the air.
In order to dry the clothes in the drum 10, the air is heated and cooled by a heat pump system 80. The heat pump system 80 may be a one refrigerating cycle system using a refrigerant. In this case, the heat pump system 80 includes a refrigerant pipe 82, an evaporation heat exchanger 81, a compressor 83, a condensation heat exchanger 84, and an expansion unit 85.
In detail, the refrigerant may flow and circulate through the evaporation heat exchanger 81, the compressor 83, the condensation heat exchanger 84, and the expansion unit 85 via the refrigerant pipe 82.
The refrigerant in the evaporation heat exchanger 81 may absorb heat and be evaporated. That is, evaporation heat exchanger 81 cools the circulating air and condenses moisture through heat-exchanging between the refrigerant and the circulating air. Thus, in terms of the circulating air, the evaporation heat exchanger 81 may be considered as a condenser corresponding to the condenser 40 of the heater drying machine.
The refrigerant in the condensation heat exchanger 84 may dissipate heat and be condensed. That is, the condensation heat exchanger 84 heats the circulating air through heat-exchanging between the refrigerant and the circulating air. Thus, in terms of the circulating air, the condensation heat exchanger 84 may be considered as a heater corresponding to the heater 60 of the heater drying machine.
In this case, condensation and heating of the circulating air may be performed through the heat pump system 80. The circulation air flows into the drum 10. In some cases, a filter 30 for removing foreign substances such as lint in the air may be provided between the drum 10 and the evaporation heat exchanger 81.
Referring to FIG. 3, the right side of the drum 10 corresponds to the front side of the drying machine, and the left side of the drum 10 corresponds to the rear side of the drying machine. Likewise, the drying machine illustrated in FIG. 3 may be a blower type drying machine, because the drying fan 50 is placed behind the drum 10 and blows the air into the drum 10. Another example drying machine illustrated in FIG. 4 may be a suction type drying machine, as described above.
FIG. 4 is a plan view of an example arrangement of main components and the base 70 of the conventional drying machine of FIG. 3. The drum 10 that is not directly mounted on the base 70 is omitted from FIG. 4. An upper portion of the base 70 in FIG. 4 corresponds to the rear side of the drying machine, and a lower portion thereof corresponds to the front side of the drying machine.
The evaporation heat exchanger 81 and the condensation heat exchanger 84 are provided at the left side of the base 70, and the expansion unit 85, the compressor 83, the motor 55, and the drying fan 50 are provided at the right side of the base 70.
An example air flow will be described below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.
The air inside the drum 10 may be discharged from the drum 10 through the front of the drum 10 due to a suction force of the drying fan 50. While the discharged air descends and passes through the evaporation heat exchanger 81 and the condensation heat exchanger 84, moisture of the air is removed and the air is heated. Subsequently, the heated air ascends and flows into the drum 10 through the rear of the drum 10.
The heat pump drying machine may not have the cooling fan 45 or the cooling flow path 46 of the heater drying machine, because cooling and heating of the circulating air is performed by the heat pump system 80.
Filtering, condensation and heating of the circulating air of the heat pump drying machine may be the same as those of the above-described heater drying machine. However, the method of heating and condensation may be different from each other. The heater 60 and the condenser 40 of the heater drying machine may correspond to the condensation heat exchanger 84 and the evaporation heat exchanger 81 of the heat pump drying machine, respectively. The heater 60 and the condensation heat exchanger 84 are configured to heat the circulating air and thus may be considered as a heater. The condenser 40 and the evaporation heat exchanger 81 are configured to condense the circulating air and thus may be considered as a condenser.
As described above, the air circulation unit 20 of the conventional heater drying machine and heat pump drying machine may perform similar function. Their drying mechanisms and structures may also be similar to each other.
Recently, the supply of a dual type washing machine including two washing units in one washing machine has been increased.
The dual type washing machine may include a large-capacity washing unit and a low-capacity washing unit having a relatively small capacity, which are provided in a single washing machine.
In the dual type washing machine, one washing unit may be used according to the weight or type of laundry, or two washing units may operate simultaneously according to the type of laundry.
The present disclosure relates to a dual type drying machine that may be used as a pair with a dual type washing machine.